A Little Bit of Danny
by Qweb
Summary: Occasional Danny-centric ficlets that don't fit any of my longer stories, though I reserve the right to reuse them as needed. Waste not, want not. Chapter 11 is a spoiler for Season 2, episode 1. Ch12 mentions something from 3.09. Ch13 - Daddy Danny on another word kick. Ch14-Danny and pineapple.
1. Book 'Em, Danno

If you don't count the episode quote at the beginning, this is a double drabble. If you do; it isn't.

Book 'Em, Danno

A tag to Episode 1.02, "Ohana"

_Book 'em, Danno."_

"_Really, I mean, is that gonna be a thing now?" Danny asked._

It was the second time he said it. The first might have been a joke. Now, apparently, it was becoming a habit.

Danny climbed into the passenger seat of (his!) Camaro.

"Don't think you're fooling me. I know why you say it," Danny told Steve.  
>What?"<p>

"It!"

"You mean, 'book 'em, Danno?' I think it's catchy."

"Not the Danno part. You do that out of your infantile need to annoy me, because you think that raising my blood pressure is good for my heart. No, I meant the 'book 'em' part."  
>"I don't know what you mean," Steve said evasively, focusing much more than necessary, on driving out of the parking lot.<p>

Danny, of course, couldn't let it go. "You need me to 'book 'em' because you don't know how!" the detective accused triumphantly. "You have no idea of the proper procedures for booking a suspect!"

Steve surrendered. "Have a heart. I've only been a cop for a week."

"Then you'd better come with me to HPD, lieutenant commander," Danny said primly. "Maybe you'll learn something."

"OK, but I don't promise to never say, 'Book 'em, Danno,' even if I know how to do it myself."

Danny rolled his eyes.

.


	2. Chopsticks

Definitely a double drabble.

Chopsticks

They were laughing at him, Danny Williams realized. His friends, his teammates, his — what was that Hawaiian word? — his ohana. They were silently, good-naturedly laughing at him when the cute Chinese waitress kindly set a fork down next to the haole's plate, while they all picked up chopsticks to eat Chinese food "the right way."

The corners of Chin Ho Kelly's mouth twitched as he valiantly tried not to mock his New Jersey friend. Kono Kalakaua's eyes twinkled as she hid her smile behind a sip of soda. Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett simply smirked openly.

Danny rolled his eyes. He plucked a set of wooden chopsticks out of the container on the table, stripped off the paper and broke them apart. He deftly scooped white rice and Kung Pao Chicken out of the common bowls and began to eat, wielding the two sticks like a native of Canton (and I don't mean Ohio).

Elbows on the table — his mother would have a fit — he regarded his friend's surprised faces.

"What?" he said, jabbing at them with the chopsticks to make his point. "You do know that there have been Chinese restaurants in New Jersey for something like 150 years, right?"


	3. Can I Buy a Vowel?

**Can I Buy a Vowel?**

_**After the angsty stories of the past two weeks, here's something a little silly. Warning: Do not drink milk while reading this story. There's one line that might be hazardous to your computer. Or maybe I m not as funny as I think I am.**_

— H50 —

Chin Ho Kelly was perched on the back of a chair with his feet on the seat, the only way to sit and look down at the waist-high smart table. His cousin Kono Kalakaua stood by the table, showing Detective Danny Williams some crime scene photos on the computer screen.

Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett glided out of his office on his desk chair, slowing to a graceful halt next to the trio beside the smart table.

"They caught Jerry Kailiponi on the Big Island," he said.

He handed a sheet of paper to New Jersey-born Danny. "Read this out, would you?" the commander said. He leaned back in his chair with his fingers laced behind his head.

Danny opened his mouth. Scanned the paper. Stopped, closed his mouth, then read it again.

"If you've got a problem with the big words, maybe Chin can help you," Steve teased his partner.

The irresistible glare met the immovable smirk.

Kono frowned. Chin leaned forward as if anticipating a great play on the football field.

Danny opened his mouth again and read, "Kailiponi apparently came ashore at Kealakekua Bay. He hid out that night at Napo'opo'o then went north to Pu'uanahulu where he stole a car he later ditched at Paliho'oukapapa and after all that trouble, the cops were waiting for him when he tried to hide out at his sister's house in Kukuihaele."

Syllable perfect, the Jerseyan sailed through the difficult geographic glossary, high-fiving Chin at the finish.

"Whoa! Touchdown! Way to go, brah!" the Hawaiian exulted.

Ever since Danny had been forced to confess he couldn't say the name of a hotel, he had been secretly working with Chin on pronouncing Hawaiian place names.

"You've been coaching him!" Steve accused, peeved that his joke had fallen flat.

"It's not a contest, boss; it's a team," Chin reproved.

Steve looked a little, just a little, shamefaced at making fun of his friend. "I never thought you could do it, Danny," he confessed.

"Steven, I grew up in Piscataway, worked in Hoboken, had relatives in Secaucus and owned a little house in Weehawken," the Jerseyan said. "I'm not afraid of a few Native American place names, no matter how many vowels they have."


	4. Reason Number One

**Reason Number One**

_Most of these ficlets are kind of funny, but this one is a little sad.  
>Still, we know it all worked out in the end.<em>

When her hula group finished, 7-year-old Keiko Kalakaua ran over to her cousins and their friends, who were all sitting on blankets on the beach watching the show.

"Kono, Chin, did you tell them?" Keiko aid excitedly.

"We thought you would want to," Kono answered with a smile.

"Guess what?" Keiko said to Danny and Steve, but most especially to her new friend 8-year-old Grace Williams.

"What?" Danny asked obediently. He was well trained by his daughter.

"I'm going opt Washington, D.C.," Keiko said, bouncing up and down. "Our group has been invited to perform at the National Museum of the American Indian for a new Hawaiian art exhibit."

Sweet, well-mannered Grace scowled at her friend. "That's a bad place," she said emphatically.

Keiko's face fell at the rejection. She slinked away in embarrassment, but Grace seemed even more distraught. She crawled into her father's lap like a much younger child. You almost expected to see her suck her thumb.

Danny rested his chin on Grace's head and rocked her until she calmed.

"It's not the museum's fault," Danny told his daughter.

"I know," Grace answered in a small voice.

"And I'm here now," her father reminded her.

The familiar Grace Williams smile returned, a little thin but recognizable. She pulled her father's arms tight around her and he hugged her obligingly. (Well trained, remember?)

"I'm sorry, Danno," she said.

"I'm not the one you need to apologize to."

"I don't know what to say," she said in a tiny voice.

"Tell Keiko you're sorry you hurt her feelings. Something bad happened to you at the museum and you don't like it, but you're glad she'll have a chance to see our nation's capital," Danny suggested. "Tell her some of our favorite places there — like that Italian restaurant near the Mall."

The girl got up obediently. (Training went both ways.)

"Danno loves you, monkey. Danno would follow you anywhere," her father promised.

Grace threw herself at Danny, hugging him fiercely. "Love you, Danno."

Releasing him she went to Keiko and made her apology, scuffing her toe in the sand. Soon the two girls were chatting away, drawing in other girls from the troupe who wanted to hear about the museum from someone who'd been there.

Satisfied Grace was back on an even keel, Danny turned to his friends and met three interrogatory gazes.

"Something?" he asked.

"We want to know what upset Grace," Kono said.

"That was unlike her," Chin added. "She's usually so well behaved."

"Unlike her father. She must get that from her mother's side of the family," Steve said. He hated to see Danny sad. He'd rather make him mad by teasing him.

Danny didn't rise to the bait. He remained pensive, watching his daughter.

"Come on, brah," Kono coaxed. "What happened with the museum?"

"That's the trouble with being friends with a bunch of detectives. They always have to investigate," Danny groused.

"It was the last weekend I spent with Grace before she moved. I took her to NMAI so she could learn a little about Hawaiian culture."

"Wait, you hated the idea of Rachel dragging Grace to Hawaii — you tried to fight the move in court, didn't you? — but you took Grace to a museum exhibit about Hawaii?" Steve asked.

To Danny, it was as if Steve had started speaking Hawaiian. Their perspectives were just too far apart.

"It wasn't about me, Steven. It was about what was best for Grace — or so I thought," Danny said ruefully.

"At first Grace loved the museum. It's pretty new, you know, and has exhibits from all the Native American groups. Not just historical stuff, but contemporary art. There was a hands-on area for kids and an amazing restaurant …"

"It's always about food with you, isn't it?"

"A nice lady took Grace under her wing, answering her questions about Hawaii. She took Grace to a U.S. map on the floor and showed her where we were at the Smithsonian and then took her several steps to where the Hawaiian Islands were.

"Grace asked where New Jersey was. When the woman showed her, Grace realized how close New Jersey was to Washington, compared to how far Hawaii was. I swear, I hadn't realized she didn't understand just how far from me she was moving. Until that moment. She began sobbing uncontrollably and clung to me, saying she didn't want to go.

"The poor woman was dumbfounded. I had to explain that Grace and her mom were moving to Hawaii and I wasn't," Danny said bleakly.

Kono patted his knee in sympathy.

"I took Grace back to the hotel and she cried herself to sleep. Rachel was not pleased that she was still crying off and on when we got home the next day, but I asked her if she'd rather had Grace realize how far she was traveling in the middle of a crowded airliner!"

Danny stopped. His friends still interrogated him with their eyes.

"That's it. That's all," Danny said impatiently. "Reason Number 1 to hate Hawaii. It made my daughter cry."


	5. Dude! Someone Stole My Board!

**Dude! Someone Stole My Board!**

_OK, I'll give you a funny one, too._

Danny Williams and Kono Kalakaua chased the suspect through the upper level of the crowded outdoor market. The young man glanced over his shoulder and saw the Five-0 duo gaining. He dodged right, knocking a cyclist off his bike. The suspect snatched up the bike and pedaled away furiously along the curving bike trail.

Danny made a noise of inarticulate rage and looked around hoping for transportation he could commandeer. He didn't see a bike, but …

Danny gestured Kono to the left. If she went "cross country" down the landscaped slopes between the market levels, she might be able to cut off the suspect before he reached the street.

Kono cut left, jumping over the planter wall. Danny flashed his badge at a young man looking at cell phone covers.

"Five-0. I need to borrow this," he said, and took the skateboard out of the youngster's unresisting hands.

"Dude!" the boy said in surprised protest and then in admiration, "Dude!" as Danny zoomed off on the board.

Tie flying, Danny powered the board through the market, scattering patrons with his shouts of "police!" The cyclist curved left on the bike path. Praying he remembered his teenage skills, Danny went straight ahead on the pedestrian path. He jumped down a flight of steps, wobbling a bit on his landing but remaining on his wheels.

Gaining confidence, pleased that his ACL didn't complain at all, Danny approached the spot where the bike and pedestrian paths crossed.

Alarm on his face, the cyclist pedaled faster to beat the detective. Danny kick-flipped the skateboard into the air, caught it and then threw it at the cyclist like a Frisbee.

The suspect dodged, lost control of the stolen bike and fell sideways onto the grass. Danny was on him in an instant, cuffing his hands behind his back.

Kono trotted up, amazed appreciation on her face.

"We've got to get back to those surfing lessons," she said. "I didn't know you could skateboard like that!"

"I didn't have an ocean out my back door, but we had sidewalks — miles of sidewalks," Danny told her.

"If you can board, you can surf, brah. The ocean's a lot softer to fall on than concrete."

"But you can't drown on the sidewalk," Danny retorted. "Though there was this one alley back home …" He shook his head, driving the memory away.

The skateboarder, who had pursued the pursuit, retrieved his board and approached Danny. "Dude! That was sick! A little sketchy jumping the steps, but sick! I didn't know an old guy could skate like that!"

"Hey, hey!" Danny protested. "I'm seven years younger than Tony Hawk."

"For real?"

"For real. I didn't damage your board, did I?"

"No, it's cool." He fist-bumped the detective, then mounted his board and cruised along the bike path with his cell phone in his hand. He passed two HPD officers responding to a disturbance call. (Something about a crazy dude on a skateboard.)

Kono hoisted the suspect to his feet and handed him off to the officers with a promise to fully explain later. As they took the cowed suspect away, Kono's cell phone made a wind chime noise.

"New ring tone?" Danny asked.

"No, I've got an alert set up when someone mentions Five-0 on some of the social network sites. This one is YouTube."

She checked it and began to laugh. When Danny looked over her shoulder, he saw himself, tie, badge and all, make a wobbly landing at the foot of the steps.

That was sketchy, he thought.

The cell phone video ran through the kick-flip take down and ended with the suspect on the ground.

The note attached to the video read, "Dudes! You'll never believe it! Five-0 commandeered my skateboard!"

"I've got to bookmark this," Kono chuckled.

"You'd better," Danny agreed, "Because otherwise Steve will never believe it."

"Dude!" Kono concurred.


	6. Drive Me Crazy

**Drive Me Crazy**

_Because we need a little humor after all this doom and gloom, so here's a car chase. Angelofjoy, I __still__ have "Eastbound and Down" stuck in my head and it's all your fault.  
>Sorry, lots of swearing in this one, but you can see why.<em>

"You want me to what?" Danny Williams exclaimed, clutching at the dashboard as the careering car bounced over a rut in the pavement.

"Slide over here and take the wheel!" Steve McGarrett ordered. "I've got to stop that truck!"

"What?"

With Steve at the wheel, the silver Camaro raced beside the hurtling propane truck. The insane man at the wheel of the big rig ignored the equally insane driver of the Camaro. The suicidal truck driver's full attention was focused on his mission, to smash his truck and its explosive cargo into the nursing home where his wife of 15 years had died of lung cancer the day before.

"I'm going to jump over there and stop the truck. It's the only way," Steve explained loudly but calmly, projecting over the roar of the engines. He unfastened his seat belt.

"Who do you think you are, Yakima Canutt?" Danny demanded loudly, and not at all calmly.

Steve refused to say "who?" to his surprisingly learned partner. "Danny!" he said impatiently, as he rolled down the driver's window. This had the added bonus of drowning out any further protest his partner might have made.

Danny would have continued to argue, but he couldn't think of another way to stop the propane truck that didn't involve pyrotechnics worthy of Mythbusters. Spike strips and blockades would only lead to disaster. The target nursing home lay at the end of a curve not ten miles away, less than ten minutes away, judging by their speed. There was no way they could clear everyone out of the hospital in that short amount of time. And everyone included Chin Ho Kelly and Kono Kalakaua, now working frantically to push beds and wheelchairs out of the threatened structure.

Sirens screaming, police cars raced ahead of the propane truck to clear the way. Only the Camaro was close enough to reach the truck and only Steve McGarrett was crazy enough — and possibly skilled enough — to make the transfer.

Danny decided he'd died and gone to hell where his partner's lunacy made sense.

And even as all that was going through his mind, Danny was unfastening his seat belt and standing, one hand on the ceiling and one on the dashboard for balance. (Because saying, "slide over and take the wheel" doesn't take bucket seats and gearshift center consoles into account.) He stepped up on the passenger seat — glad for once he wasn't taller — and stepped onto the driver's seat between Steve's legs.

Trying to look past his partner's ass, Steve hit a tiny ridge in the pavement which caused the Camaro to swerve a tiny bit — but tiny magnified into huge to a man standing balanced on one foot on the edge of a seat in a fast-moving car. "Shit!" Danny said, as his foot slipped and he dropped.

Into Steve's lap.

Steve gave a pained grunt and his eyes crossed, but he kept the car heading straight, dammit! Danny grabbed the wheel and steadied it. With Steve behind him, Danny was practically leaning against the steering wheel.

"Are you all right?" he called.

"Sure," Steve wheezed. "No problem." Pain or no pain, he was already moving. He slid his right foot to the left, letting Danny get a purchase on the gas pedal, then he pushed himself up, until he was standing on the seat behind his partner, his upper body already halfway out the window.

He slid over to the left, leaving the seat to the new driver, and the car slowed abruptly, almost propelling him out the window. With one hand, Steve clung to the edge of the window as the pavement flew past beneath his gaze. He clawed his way back into balance.

"What the hell!" he yelled.

"You long-legged freak! I can't reach the damned pedals!" Danny hollered back in a panic. "Shit, shit, shit, shit!"

Danny — all of 5-5 — always complained he had to readjust the seat after his 6-1 partner drove the Camaro. But he couldn't haul the seat forward with his freaking deadweight of a partner standing on it while barreling along at 60 miles per hour chasing a madman in a loaded propane truck!

"He's getting away!" Steve said in desperation.

Danny growled and shoved himself down in the seat. He could hardly see the road over the dashboard now, but he almost felt safer that way at the reckless speed they were going. He could still see the truck looming above him and beginning to pull away.

"Hang on!" Danny warned and mashed down the accelerator.

The Camaro accelerated like a silver bullet, catching the heavy truck in an instant. Danny lined up alongside the truck, edging closer, matching speeds — and then his friend was gone from beside him.

Danny held his breath; then saw the figure clinging to the framework on the propane truck. He swung like a monkey to the cab. The truck door opened and the Navy SEAL disappeared inside.

Danny eased up on the gas pedal, sliding back into the bucket seat, planting his tippytoe on the brake to ease the car to a halt. The truck was slowing, too. That was a given. Danny hadn't expected a crazy trucker to be any match for his crazier partner.

Steve climbed out of the now stationary truck, hauling the dazed driver by the back of his shirt. He waited for the approaching police cars to reach him.

Danny fumbled in his pocket for his phone and hit speed dial. "Chin, you can relax. We stopped the truck."

"What? How?"

"Don't ask," Danny answered, and hung up.

Steve came jauntily to the driver's window, apparently expecting to be given the wheel again. Danny gave him a look that spoke volumes, and hitched the driver's seat forward by way of emphasis.

Steve accepted the reproof with equanimity and went to the passenger seat. He leaned back all full of himself and proud of his feat. (And maybe he deserved to be, Danny admitted, if only to himself.)

"So, who's Yakima Canutt?" Steve asked.

Danny rolled his eyes, because it really should have been obvious. "A stuntman, Steven. Maybe the greatest stuntman ever."

"The greatest?" Steve said, fishing for compliments. (That maybe he deserved.)

"The greatest," Danny said firmly and waited one beat before finishing, "But you're definitely up for honorable mention, babe."


	7. A Taste of Home

_Author's note: I promised Danny something nice. No cliffs. No guns. No knives, except for the table variety._

**A Taste of Home**

"Danny, I think someone's stalking you," Kono Kalakaua said. Her words might have sounded ominous, except her voice was laden with amusement.

The Five-0 teammates were walking down a side street they hadn't explored before amiably arguing about sustenance. Danny Williams had put his foot down about poké for lunch. He would taste it at a party — when his daughter was watching — but an entire dish of raw fish for lunch was not to be tolerated. Kono equally firmly put her foot down regarding pizza. Four days in a row was two days too many. She wanted something else.

So they'd turned down a different street to see what they could compromise on. They were detectives. They were investigating.

Soon Kono noticed a small, round Chinese woman paralleling them on the other side of the street. Eyes fixed on Danny, the woman skipped along trying to get ahead of him, but her legs were short, the sidewalk was crowded and Danny was striding along, passing souvenir shops and clothing stores with just a flicker of a glance as he looked for a food source.

He hadn't even looked at the other side of the street, counting on his partner to have his six.

At Kono's words, Danny stopped and looked across. The Chinese woman stopped, too, clapping her hands over her mouth in astonishment.

A delighted smile bloomed on Danny's face. With a glance for traffic, he plunged across the street and swept the woman off her feet in a hug. When he set her down laughing, she patted him all over as if unable to trust her eyes.

"Danny Williams. I don't believe it," she said.

Kono blinked. Instead of Chinese or Hawaiian, the woman's accent was pure New Jersey.

"I was walking down the street and I saw you and thought, 'Look, there's Danny.' Then I remembered where I was and said, 'No, it couldn't be Danny.' Then I couldn't catch up again to see."

"Kono, this is Mrs. Han, the owner of my favorite Chinese restaurant in Newark," Danny said, smiling the way he did when he talked about food, friends and New Jersey.

"Not Han," the woman corrected.

"That's right, you got remarried. It's Wang, now, right? And then you closed the restaurant and moved away," Danny said mournfully.

"Honolulu is my husband's home," Mrs. Wang explained.

"Do you have a Chinese restaurant here?" Kono asked, because she was getting really hungry.

Danny perked up at the thought, but Mrs. Wang shook her head. "Too many Chinese restaurants in Honolulu." When Danny looked disappointed, she laughed. "I've got something better," she promised.

She took Danny's hand and dragged him onward, chatting about old friends from the old neighborhood while the detective told her the story of moving to Hawaii in hot pursuit of his daughter. His attention on Mrs. Wang, Danny didn't see where they were going, but Kono did. She laughed aloud.

"I think we would have ended up here anyway, Danny."

He looked up to see the name of the shop, barked a laugh and plunged through the door. He breathed in the scents and took in the familiar names — Sabatini's, Goldberg's. Counters with deli meats and cheeses from two different cultures were carefully separated, one on either side of the shop. Across the back were soups and fresh salads bearing the Wang name.

"I made an arrangement with my old neighbors," Mrs. Wang explained. "They ship me genuine New Jersey deli meats twice a week. I use the same cheese and bread suppliers that they do. It's not quite as fresh as home, but …"

"It's heaven," Danny vowed.

He browsed the cases, finally choosing enough to make sure he had leftovers to take home. He and Kono consulted on selections for Chin and Steve and left with a full bag full of deli delights.

"I'll be back," he promised, as he left. He glanced again at the name of the store, laughed again, and hastened to succor his hungry teammates.

— H50 —

"What took you so long?" Chin complained, when Danny and Kono returned.

"Here, cuz, we got you ham and swiss and a choice of salads," Kono soothed.

Danny already had his mouth full of pastrami, his eyes half closed in rapture.

Chin took a big bite and sighed. "OK, that was worth waiting for."

"Here, boss, beef brisket for you," Kono said, as Steve emerged from his office.

"That took awhile. How far did you go?" Steve asked.

"A ways," Danny answered.

He turned the bag so Steve could see the store name: "A Bite of Jersey."

— H50 —

_I was writing this story and trying to think of a good name for Mrs. Wang's deli and then a sub and hoagie shop named "A Bite of Jersey" opened up in Southern California on my route to work. Seriously? I had to use it. I don't suppose the owner will mind, given all this free publicity and all. I haven't tried it yet, but I will. Danny will see to that._


	8. Wipeout

**Wipe-out**

Danny paused outside Kono's Cruze, biting his lower lip as he studied the crowd on the beach.

"Why so nervous, Danny?" Kono asked. "The surf is nice, not too difficult for a beginner."

"I haven't surfed with this many people — or with Steve," Danny confessed.

"Steve's been looking forward to it all week," Kono said with a laugh.

"Steve's been tormenting me with it all week," Danny corrected. "He keeps talking about great wipe-outs he's seen." Danny smiled abruptly. "OK, this was kinda funny," he admitted. "He burned a CD with just one song on it, that Wipe-out song by the Surfaris."

"W-w-w-w-wipe-out!" Kono sang with the recording's high, crazy laugh.

"Yeah. He played it every time we got into the car. Every time! So he got into my head," Danny said. "I had this stupid dream last night where Steve flew up to me on his board and deliberately knocked me off and then laughed about it."

Kono put her hand on his arm. There was always a psychological aspect to sports. If Danny stopped believing he could do it, then he wouldn't be able to. "You should have told me," she chided. "I'd have decked him for messing with my student. Want me to talk to him?"

"And be a crybaby spoilsport? That's just another form of public humiliation."

"Your dream is just nonsense, you know that," Kono encouraged her student. "I taught you wave etiquette. Steve won't drop in on the same wave you do, so he wouldn't be able to knock you down. And he wouldn't. He's your friend."

"But sometimes he's got the sense of humor of a 10-year-old," Danny said darkly. "Remember the water balloons?"

Kono had to admit that throwing a water balloon on the steps of HPD was pretty childish, even if it had been April Fool's Day.

"How about this — if Steve does dunk you, I'll knock him down for picking on my student. Then it's all me and not you."

This time she got a genuine grin. "Thanks."

"Got your back, partner," she said, giving him a fist bump.

"Speaking of partners, where's Chin?" Danny asked.

"He said he was going to be a little late. He was picking up a date."

"Malia?" Danny asked, with a sidelong glance at Kono.

"I don't know. Maybe."

"Can you deal with that?" Danny asked, knowing Kono felt Malia had walked out on Chin when he needed her.

"I can, if that's what Chin wants. Anyway, after finding out Chin was covering for Uncle all along. Maybe I was wrong about Malia, too."

Danny nodded.

"Let's go," Kono said, unfastening her board from the roof. "You can do this, Danny. You're ready."

"I still surf like a rookie, rookie," Danny said with a smile.

"I can tell you're still a novice," Kono admitted. "But you're improving with every ride. You're ready."

Danny felt better after her pep talk. "Thanks, teach."

They hoisted their boards and started toward the rendezvous point.

"Just remember, if you do get dunked, follow the bubbles to the surface," Kono advised. "Bubbles always know the way up."

- H50 -

Steve was as excited as a kid, ready to plunge into the waves immediately.

"We should wait for Chin," Danny protested.

"I'll wait," Kono said, seeing Steve's downcast expression. "You two go ahead."

She met Danny's eyes with a "don't worry, it will be all right" expression and shooed him toward the Pacific. Danny took a deep breath and followed Steve out. Steve was more at home on the surfboard than Danny, but the SEAL paddled slowly and kept an eye out every time they had to duck under a breaker or dodge another surfer coming in. He'd dropped his adolescent eagerness for a quiet competence and soothing manner that calmed Danny's worries.

Maybe we can have fun after all, Danny thought.

- H50 -

When they reached the zone where the waves were breaking, Steve sat up on his board and waved Danny on. This gave Danny priority on the waves and let Steve keep an eye on his friend while he kept an eye on the waves coming his way.

Danny continued out, saw a wave curling toward him, spun and paddled swiftly to catch it. The wave caught his board and he bounced to his feet, balancing triumphantly. He looked for Steve to share the moment of victory and saw his friend paddling madly to catch the same wave.

As Steve stood and cut sharply toward him, Danny had a momentary flashback to his nightmare. His options flickered through his mind. If he tried to dodge, he'd just fall so maybe he should bail deliberately, or could he cut back and drop behind the wave? Then Danny realized that Steve's laser gaze was focused past him. The Jerseyan glanced over his shoulder and saw another surfer on his wave. What the hell happened to surf etiquette?

Dreadlocks flying, mean grin slashing across his dark face, the young Hawaiian aimed deliberately at the novice surfer, not seeing that Steve was aimed at him.

Danny felt like a compact car with two big rigs heading toward him. Steve gestured down as he moved higher on the wave. As if they'd planned it, Danny dropped near the base. Steve flew past, much too close behind his friend, and cut off the Hawaiian before he could knock into his prey.

The Hawaiian went down, but the nose of his surfboard went up and smacked Steve in the jaw.

Steve dropped boneless from his board and vanished into the churning surf.

Danny bailed instantly and swam toward his floundering partner. The surfboard on its ankle leash made swimming awkward but manageable. On the other hand, Steve's leash made it easy to find his partner when the big blue and yellow board was bobbing above him like a fishing float. Danny used the leash to reel in his friend and slung him over his board.

Steve blinked, coughed, and said, "W-w-w-w-wipeout!" stammering because that's the way the song goes, not because he was hurt. Danny slapped his shoulder, and then spun to find the other surfer. The longhaired Hawaiian was examining his board for damage.

"You!" Danny yelled vengefully. He charged, proving to Steve once and for all that he could swim. His powerful strokes churned through the water like a motorboat. The only flaw in his stroke was keeping his head out of water, and he did that to keep an eye on his suspect.

The anger in his piercing blue eyes made the Hawaiian gulp and dodge to the other side of his board. That was a mistake, because Danny reached across, caught the surfer by his long hair and bounced his chin off the surfboard.

"He ran into me!" the surfer protested.

"To keep you from running into me!" Danny said. "What, thought it would be funny to knock the haole off his board?"

"You looked like such a newbie," the Hawaiian protested. "I thought it would be funny to wipe you out."

"I'll show you a wipeout," Danny snarled. He lunged under the board and caught the man around the neck, driving him under, just as Steve yelled, "Danny! Breaker coming!"

The wave broke on top of the Jerseyan, forcing him under and spinning him around. He released the other man and sought the surface, but was confused by the swirling water. Bubbles rise, but foam surged all around him. He exhaled just a bit, and followed the bubbles up, realizing, too, that he was still attached to his board. Reoriented, he stroked for the surface.

Gasping in the salty air, he saw Steve on his board paddling swiftly toward him. Steve's anxious strokes eased when he saw his friend's face.

"What happened to the other guy?" Danny asked, as he slipped onto his surfboard.

Steve sat up, then pointed. Danny could see the surfer belly flat on his fluorescent red board coasting toward the shore. The still angry Jerseyan smacked his fist against the innocent ocean.

Steve grinned, a little lopsided because of the growing swelling on his jaw. "Look." He pointed farther left. Kono in her bright yellow bikini was racing along the beach on an intercept course.

"Oh, he's in trouble now," Danny chortled, as he saw Kono keep her promise and deck the man who'd tried to run him down, even if it wasn't Steve. "Don't mess with her students!"

As she berated the dazed man lying on the sand, a smaller figure in pink ran up to her.

"Grace?" Danny said in surprise, then he saw Chin coming behind his daughter, carrying her pink surfboard and beach bag. So that was his "date."

Steve laughed aloud, then clutched his painful jaw, as Grace kicked sand in the bully's face.

"That's my girl," Danny said proudly. He looked back and saw a set of waves coming. "Let's go in," he suggested.

Steve nodded.

- H50 -

Danny let Steve go first this time. If his injured friend got dizzy, Danny would be behind him to help. But they both made it in without further trouble and carried their boards up the beach to their friends, where a lifeguard was waiting to bawl out Steve for his reckless behavior. (He'd already banished the dreadlocked Hawaiian.)

Steve accepted the correction but Chin protested. Flashing his badge, he explained that Steve had reacted instinctively, protecting his partner's back.

"All right," the lifeguard accepted. "I saw what happened. But you know waves are unpredictable. You could have run down your friend unintentionally. He's the only one who acted responsibly out there!"

"Nothing new in that," Chin said, just loud enough for his friends to hear.

"I think you'd better sit out the rest of the day," the lifeguard told Steve sternly.

Steve touched his aching jaw. He still felt a little dizzy. "I think I'd better."

"Daddy, are we going surfing?" Grace asked hesitantly.

"I think we have to give up for the day, monkey," Danny answered. "How about if we go to Steve's and make him an adult smoothie with liquid painkiller in it?"

Grace looked disappointed, but no more disappointed than Steve.

"But I want to see you surf!" he complained.

When he was sure Steve was OK with it, Danny agreed to go out with Grace and Kono while Chin shared the beach with his boss. Danny fished in the cooler of soft drinks and wrapped some ice cubes in the corner of a towel. He handed the makeshift cold pack to his injured friend.

"OK, I'll surf. You guard the ice, Super SEAL." Danny hesitated, then plunged in. "You're going to stop with the Wipe-out song, right? Because you were freaking me out."

"Yeah, Danny, I'm sorry. I don't want to spoil surfing for you after nagging you so long to try it. You do like it, right?"

"I don't like the washing machine," Danny said, referring to being tumbled around underwater. "But catching a wave is a rush and it's fun to surf with my daughter — and my friends, if they can stay on their boards," he said pointedly, making Steve grin, then wince and press the ice pack to his jaw.

Grace was getting visibly impatient. Danny stood to join her.

"I've got a new song for you," Steve said and sang, "I need a hero!"

Danny laughed. If Super SEAL could do Bonnie Tyler, Danny the Daddy could do "Toy Story." "You've got a friend in me," he sang back and then ran to join his daughter.


	9. Furlough Friday

**Furlough Friday**

Sometimes Steve McGarrett hated being the boss.

He assembled his team around the smart table in the war room, took a deep breath and said, "Because of the economy, all state employees are being asked — well, ordered — to take five furlough days this quarter."

Then the fearless Navy SEAL hunched his shoulders and closed his eyes, waiting for the Williams storm to smash into his face. He anticipated a Force 5 rant from Danny about risking your life for an ungrateful state that can't even pay your promised salary.

Instead he heard, "Can I have Friday?"

Steve cracked open his eyes to see Danny, regarding him, arms crossed, eyebrows raised.

"What?" Steve asked.

"I said, can I — excuse me, may I — have this Friday as my first furlough day?" Danny said patiently, enjoying Steve's confusion.

"Uh, yeah, sure."

"Great." Danny rubbed his hands together and started for his office. He paused. "Do I remember correctly? You're not allowed to contact me on a furlough day? It would be illegal for the governor to summon me?"

"That's right."

"Excellent!" Danny shoved a card in his back pocket, but it flipped out and fell on the floor unnoticed.

"Danny, you're not angry about the furlough days?" Steve asked.

"Am I happy that the state is stiffing me five days of pay this quarter? No. But since it's summer, I can live with it."

Danny returned to his office to finish his paperwork.

Steve scratched his head. "What's summer got to do with it?"

"Maybe he wants to go surfing?" Kono Kalakaua suggested. She was already considering the upcoming contests that she could attend on her unexpected days off.

"Wrong sport, cuz." Chin Ho Kelly had picked up the card Danny dropped, only to find it was a wallet-sized folder with a baseball schedule in it. He traced with his finger to find Friday's date.

"The Yankees play the Red Sox at home on Friday," he reported. "The game starts at 7, so that would be …" He frowned over the time difference.

"That would be 1 p.m.," Danny said, coming out of his office to reclaim his schedule. "I almost never get to see the games live. East Coast games are over by 5. I tape them, but half the time I've heard the score before I even get home. I might catch the tail end of a West Coast game after work, if I'm lucky. Now I can watch the Yankees beat the Sox and you can't call me in the middle and drag me into work. Who knew a day off without pay could feel like Christmas?"

He waved the schedule. "Now I gotta plan the rest of my furlough days."

With a tip of an imaginary baseball cap, Danny retreated to his office again.

"Well, I'm glad furlough days made someone happy," Steve said. He was just happy to understand why his contentious partner was happy. "Do either of you have any questions? Complaints?"

The cousins met each other's eyes. The rookie and the outcast were just happy to have jobs to go to. A couple days without pay didn't seem so bad compared to being unemployed.

"I'm good," Kono said. "I think I'll check the surfing schedule and see if there are any competitions I could catch. I hope they don't interfere with the Yankees."

"If they do, you and Danny will have to duke it out," Chin said. "We can't close the office, so we all have to take different days."

Kono and Chin went to their offices to plan their unplanned days off.

Steve stood alone in the war room glad, but surprised, that his unpalatable news went down so well. Then suddenly he realized he'd get leftovers if he didn't figure out the furlough days he wanted. He hurried into his room to check his calendar.

— H50 —

_A/N: It's a truism that no work gets done for at least an hour after furlough days are announced because of important scheduling debates. Trust me. I know._

— H50 —

On his furlough Friday, Danny slept in. He felt lazy and relaxed with no plans except to watch the game. A day just for him was so rare, he was savoring it.

When he finally got himself moving, he decided to go out for breakfast with maybe a stop by Liliha Bakery for coco puffs. Is there anything more decadent than dessert after breakfast?

The people at Paradise Diner knew Danny and could fix a traditional bacon and eggs breakfast as well as the Hawaiian cholesterol fest called loco moco — ground beef patty, on rice with a fried egg on top and gravy over all.

Danny had finished his eggs and blueberry pancakes and even his mixed fruit — pineapple was OK in its place, such as fruit salad. He was sipping the last of his coffee while he read the newspaper when a man entered and approached the cashier.

Danny's cop instincts rang an alarm bell. The tension in the man's stance, the hand jammed deep in the jacket pocket (heck the jacket at all on a summer day when the temps were already approaching 90 degrees), the sudden alarm in the young cashier's face — they all spoke of a robbery in progress. Danny prayed the girl would keep calm and do whatever the man said.

The girl's frantic gaze zipped around the room and latched onto Danny's eyes. He smiled reassurance and gestured palm down — be calm — then flicked his fingers — go on, do whatever he wants.

His support calmed the girl. She hurried to pull the cash out of the drawer and hand it over. The man stuffed it in his pocket — the same pocket with the gun, Danny noted, if there was a gun, which he was beginning to doubt.

Before the robber even got out the door, Danny was up and sauntering swiftly, but casually toward the cashier as if about to pay his bill. He held his newspaper to cover both the gun in his hand and the badge on his belt.

As he passed the cashier's counter, he told the girl, "Jenny, get your father. Don't let anyone come out until it's safe."

"Yes sir." Jenny abandoned her post to fetch the owner and manager of the diner.

Danny strode out after the young robber who was fumbling for his keys. "Hey, pal, got change for a fifty?"

The young man, just a teenager, turned in alarm to see the detective, gun and badge prominently displayed.

"Police," Danny said unnecessarily.

The robber held up his hands meekly. "I don't have a gun," he said.

"That's good for you," Danny said kindly, seeing just how young this robber was. "Maybe you won't be charged with armed robbery."

Danny handcuffed the robber and gestured the diner owner out. "Call the police, Charlie, and don't forget to tell them there's an off-duty officer on the scene. I'd hate to get shot on a day I'm not supposed to be working."

Fortunately Danny knew the patrol officers who responded. With the diner owner willing to file charges and the girl as a witness, the HPD officers agreed that Danny could wait until the next day to file his report about the arrest.

To Danny's surprise, he got home in plenty of time to see the game.

— H50 —

When Danny was beginning to consider what he wanted for dinner, he heard a rap on the door, which was then opened immediately. A hand bearing a six-pack of Longboards entered, followed by the rest of Danny's partner.

"It's after 5," Steve said. "Furlough Friday's officially over."

"It can't be office hours when you have beer," Danny agreed. He took one from the carton. It was still ice cold from the store refrigerator.

"I thought we could celebrate the Yankees' victory," Steve said. If they hadn't won, he'd have said commiserate on the loss; but he'd heard the score on the radio. "I heard it was a good game."

"They came from behind in the bottom of the ninth. There's nothing like a walk-off home run to get the crowd pumped," Danny answered, remembering the thrill. It wouldn't have been the same to see it secondhand.

"I also heard you had some trouble this morning," Steve commented.

Danny shrugged. "Just a kid robbing a diner. He didn't even have a gun. I have to file a report tomorrow, though." He sighed. "On Saturday. My day off."

"But not a furlough day off."

Danny gestured agreement. "I was a little worried," he joked. "That I was breaking the law by stopping a robbery on a furlough day. Do you think they could arrest me for making an arrest?"


	10. Jersey Luau

_This is a follow up to Mutual Aid, so you should probably read that first. This is what Chin and Kono did for Danny's birthday. Also, I know next to nothing about hula. But according to online research, the gestures interpret the song and there are mele (hula songs) that reference travel and emotions, so I think this is doable. If there's a hula expert out there, let me know what you think.  
>If you're rereading this story and think it looks different, it is. FF dot Net locked me out for a couple of days because of my illegal one-sentence story. This was the only other one I knew was against the rules, because it had most of the "My Way" lyrics. So I took them out and you'll have to listen to a recording of Mr. Sinatra while you imagine the hula show. I wouldn't want them to take down the entire Bit of Danny saga for one story with lyrics.<em>

**The Jersey Luau**

Chin Ho Kelly and his cousin Kono Kalakaua called it a Jersey Luau, in honor of Danny Williams' 35th birthday. The food came from the Bite of Jersey deli or was shipped frozen from suppliers recommended by the owner of said deli, Marci Wang, a Jersey native herself. The birthday cake came from closer to home, from Pearl Kuroda, owner of Danny's favorite pastry shop.

Chin and Kono had invited every friend of Danny's they could think of, including Pearl and Marci. Members of the HPD rubbed shoulders with coffee shop owners, paramedics and a group of baseball fans who met on weekends to watch Yankee games. The invitation list had swelled with people bringing dates and spouses and children, until there were quite a few folks present who didn't even know Danny. But that was OK, because the cousins realized they'd gone overboard with the food and there was more than enough room for the crowd on the beach behind Steve's house.

About the only one who wasn't there was Danny's ex-wife. Rachel Edwards thought her ambivalent relationship with Danny would put a damper on the celebration; but she willingly delivered their daughter to share her father's celebration.

Chin had made sure Danny was dressed in Hawaiian casual, with a twist. He had given his Jersey friend a colorful, Hawaiian-style shirt, but instead of flowers or palm trees, the shirt showed a big city street scene with skyscrapers and even a small, hand-embroidered police car.

A Bruce Springsteen tribute band performed during the feast, while people chatted and gorged on deli sandwiches, Atlantic City hot dogs and other East Coast favorites.

After dinner, Chin Ho took the stage. Danny grinned and shook his head when his friend performed a medley of Bon Jovi on a ukulele.

But it was Kono who stole the show. She came out with four young friends in grass skirts, bikini tops and flowers in their hair.

As she took her place in the center of the line, Kono said, "This is a hula designed in honor of my New Jersey friend by my Auntie Amana." The older woman, a hula instructor, waved from the sidelines.

The girls turned their backs, fiddled with something around their necks, then faced their audience. Instead of wearing leis around their necks, they wore flowered neckties.

Steve laughed and clapped a heavy hand on Danny's shoulder where they sat cross-legged on beach blankets on the sand. Grace leaned against her father's leg on the other side, giggling at the way the ties swung as the girls took their places.

Chin started the music, and the girls began to sway — and the neckties began to sway — in time to the Frank Sinatra classic, "My Way."

Devotees of the hula nodded as the opening gestures spoke of farewells and travels, but then they frowned, as the gestures took an unfamiliar tack. Hands chopped like blades and waved in the air, double time to the leisurely song.

The people who really knew the birthday boy began to chuckle. Grace clapped her hands over her mouth. "Daddy, it's you!"

"Me?" Danny sat straight, face twisted in mock outrage that made his daughter giggle harder.

"I did it my way," the recording crooned, as the girls gestured Danny's way.

Kono had worried about the next line, because her Jersey friend did have regrets; so she played up the comedy about regrets too few to mention.

The girls crossed their arms and tugged on their lower lips. Steve guffawed and Danny collapsed on Grace's shoulders. Then the dancers threw their hands up in the air in a "what are you going to do?" gesture. Fingers jabbed and then waved in triumph.

The girls went back to traditional graceful motions for the next verse about traveling.

After the peaceful interlude, the girls advanced on Steve, stomping angrily, gestures going wild. Kono had secretly recorded one of Danny's rants and the dancers replayed it to perfection, pointing, jabbing, flailing and sputtering at the line, "I ate it up and spit it out." Steve bent his head before the storm, while Danny pounded him on the shoulder, face red with laughter.

The girls turned to Danny, gestures becoming gentler, sweeter, as the song talked about love and loss. Hands spread out as if giving and then pulled in toward the heart.

The dancers became bolder, strutting assertively, confidently and not in a shy way. They shook their heads and shook their fingers. Gesturing broadly, the girls proudly signaled success and satisfaction and did it their way.

With strong motions, the girls indicated their hearts and blew a kiss to Grace to say the things that Danny feels.

Hips swaying, neckties swaying, the hula girls threw punches for "I took the blows" and then the dancers threw up their hands in triumph for the final: "And did it my way!"

Danny leaped to his feet, leading the crowd in a standing ovation. He kissed auntie and each of the girls on the cheek. As Kono brought up the rear, he gripped her shoulders, leaned forward as if about to kiss her cheek, and whispered, "Kalakaua, you're so dead." Then he kicked her feet out from under her, caught her in a deep dip, and gave her a classic screen kiss — thorough but chaste, because his daughter was standing beside them, bouncing and squealing. The audience applauded and whistled.

Kono stiffened in surprise at first, then relaxed and put her arms around Danny's neck. He swung her back to her feet, grinning at her blushes.

"Thanks," Danny said. "That's one of the nicest things anyone's ever done for me."

With the dinner and show over, the crowd began to disperse. "Hey, wait, don't forget the presents!" Steve exclaimed. He disappeared into the house and returned with a tall, narrow package about the size of two shoeboxes stacked on top of each other. But as he drew closer, Danny's friends began to grin. It was a stack of long, flat necktie boxes, individually wrapped and tied together with a wide ribbon that had a bowtie as the bow on top.

They just weren't going to let the tie thing go, Danny thought with amusement.

The birthday boy took off the bowtie, setting it aside for the disguise box because if he needed a bowtie he could tie one himself, thanks. When he lifted off the top box, he could tell it didn't have a tie in it. It didn't weigh enough.

Inside was a gift certificate to a local restaurant. And so it went. Danny found gift cards for restaurants and bookstores, movie tickets, sports tickets and passes to the aquarium and other places he could take his daughter.

Finally, he opened the last tie box, labeled "From Steve," and inside he found — a tie!

Danny gave him a look. Steve shrugged. "It's what you said you wanted after my last present didn't work out."

The tie was dark blue with a white pattern that, when you looked closer, proved to be the Yankees' NY monogram. It had to have been special ordered and overnighted from the team's website. Danny fingered it, fighting tears from all the love he'd been shown this day.

"I expect to see you wearing that on Monday morning," Steve teased.

Danny jerked out of his reverie. "No, no. No, you're probably never going to see this tie again," Danny said firmly.

Steve was startled and a little hurt. "Why…?"

"When I'm around you, my ties tend to get stained with dirt … blood …" He looked down his nose at Steve and said with deep significance, "… Hollandaise!" Danny caressed the silken surface with his thumb, and then favored Steve with his rare, 100-watt smile. "I never wear my favorite ties to work."


	11. Family Man

_Spoiler alert: This is a tag to the Season 2 opener, Ha'i'ole. I thought I'd better post it before the second episode._

**Family Man**

Above all else, Danny Williams was a family man. It had been a wrench for him to leave New Jersey and his parents, brother, sisters and the rest of his extended family. But he did it for the family member who was most important, the one he was responsible for, his daughter Grace.

And now he was separated from Grace again.

Grace was back in New Jersey with Danny's ex-wife and Danny was in Hawaii. He didn't regret staying to save his wrongfully accused partner and to resurrect Five-0, but even the successful investigation couldn't cheer him up.

Rachel, Danny's ex, fully intended to return to her husband in Hawaii, but she couldn't fly right now. Danny didn't think she was lying to punish him. He remembered when Rachel was pregnant with Grace. Her violent morning sickness lasted well beyond noon. She could not handle the 14-hour plane trip from New Jersey when she was so sick. Her sickness ended abruptly in the second trimester, so Danny expected he had a little more than a month to go until he could see his daughter again.

He was depressed.

And his friends knew it.

At first Danny tried to pretend he was OK, but nobody bought it. That was the trouble with having friends who were detectives. So he stopped pretending. He didn't bring it up, but he stopped hanging out with his friends away from work because he didn't want to spoil their evenings.

Which spoiled their evenings, because they were his friends.

Steve entered Danny's office and put his hands on the back of his desk chair.

"Come on, Danny. Kono's back from her trip. We're going to the Hilton. Come with us," Steve coaxed.

"I don't want to drag you down in my pit of misery," Danny said.

"Your empty chair does that," Steve answered. "If you come with us, at least we can make sure you eat something. We're your friends. Let us take care of you."

"Another time."

Steve made a face. "Please," he teased. "Kono's got a girlfriend she wants you to meet."

The hurt expression in Danny's eyes made Steve sorry he made a joke.

"I really don't think …" Danny began stiffly, as Steve turned his chair around so Danny could see Kono standing with one hand on Grace's shoulder. Kono released the girl who flew to her father. Danny dropped to one knee to meet her with a fierce hug. He buried his face in her shoulder.

Steve, Kono and Chin grinned fatuously to see the reunion.

Danny carried Grace to the couch in his office, then pulled away, putting his hand over his eyes, trying to control himself. All the strain, all the relief, hit him at once and he couldn't stop the tears from pouring down his face.

Grace watched anxiously. Kono whispered reassurance in her ear. "It's OK. He needs this. He needs to let the pain out. He'll feel better after."

"Just stay with him, Grace," Steve said quietly. "Tell your Dad to call me when he's ready."

Steve squeezed his partner's shoulder, then filed out with the others. The Five-0 team didn't want Danny to be embarrassed because they saw his breakdown.

Grace put her arms around her father and rested her head against his chest. Danny put his arm around her and fought for control.

In a minute, the storm passed. Danny sat back and wiped his eyes.

"Sorry, monkey," he apologized.

"Do you feel better, Daddy?" Grace asked in concern. "Kono said you would."

Danny smiled and tugged one of her pigtails. "I think I do," he said. "Except now my eyes are sore and my head aches," he added honestly.

"Wait here," the 9-year-old instructed.

She ran to Steve's first aid kit for a cloth and some aspirin. In the ladies room, she dampened the cloth with cold water and brought it back so her father could wipe his face. Then she gave Danny the aspirin and a glass of water.

Danny smiled to see her serious expression as she took care of him.

"Is that better?" she asked anxiously.

"Just having you here makes everything better," Danny said. "I missed you, monkey."

"Missed you more," Grace answered with a brilliant smile.

Father and daughter talked for a while. Danny asked grace about her mother (throwing up a lot) and her trip (Kono let her play games on her iPad) and who persuaded Rachel to let Grace come back to Hawaii without her mother (though Danny was pretty sure he knew the answer).

"Uncle Steve," Grace answered.

Danny wasn't surprised. He pulled out his phone and dialed Steve. "Thanks, brother."

"That's what family is for, partner."

Danny heard happy party sounds in the background. "You guys at the Hilton?" he asked, meaning the Hilton Hawaiian Village, where they'd held celebrations before.

"Yes, come on over. We saved you and Grace a seat. Ask for the Williams party."

"But we need some Williams to make it a party!" Kono yelled in the background.

"You hear that?" Steve asked with a laugh.

"Yes. You tell Kono to lay off those umbrella drinks. She can't handle them," Danny joked. "We'll be right over."

He hung up and held out his hand to his daughter. "Come on, the family's waiting."


	12. Long Distance

_Just a tag to Episode 3.09. Steve made it sound like Gabby had been gone for a while, but was coming back eventually; so I wondered where she was._

**Long Distance**

Danny smiled when he saw the picture smiling from his phone. He sat back at the breakfast table. "Hey, babe," he answered the call.

"Danny. I didn't wake you, did I?" Gabby asked. She had just finished lunch on the East Coast.

"No, I was just finishing breakfast. How's D.C.?"

"Cold!" the Hawaii-born woman said.

The New Jersey native laughed at his girlfriend. "That's what winter is supposed to be like!"

"What's the temperature there?" Gabby asked wistfully.

"Eighty degrees and sunny," Danny answered with a sigh.

Gabby giggled. "That's what Hawaii is supposed to be like!"

Danny joined her laughter. "How's the Smithsonian?"

"I'm learning so much," said the expert in Hawaiian native artifacts. "There are some fascinating comparisons between the island cultures of Polynesia and the Caribbean."

"That fellowship was too good to pass up," Danny said supportively. "But I miss you," he added.

"Me, too," she answered. "Three more weeks, then I'll be back. What are you up to? Any interesting cases?"

"Oh, nothing much, saved the life of a supermodel Monday," Danny said with exaggerated casualness, knowing she'd think he was joking.

She laughed at first, but something about his voice tipped her off. "Wait, you're serious?"

"Serious as a heart attack, babe. Her name is Behati Prinsloo. She had a stalker, a crazy woman who didn't even know her. Went after the poor girl with a knife, but I stopped her." He knew Gabby wouldn't want to hear more details about the shooting.

"Didn't Steve give you any help?"

"The rest of the team was busy with another case," Danny answered. "This was all me, babe. Just me and three supermodels sitting on a couch on the beach while they hung all over me."

"All over you?" Gabby asked suspiciously.

"You don't think three supermodels would snuggle with me? I'm wounded." Danny pretended offense.

"You are an awfully good snuggler," Gabby confessed. "But I thought you saved your snuggling for me." She tried to put a pout in her voice.

"Wellllll, OK, they were looking at my pictures of Grace," Danny confessed.

"That's a relief!"

"Really, they were nice girls. They let me bring Grace to their fashion show. Made her day. Step-Stan can't beat that! And supermodels can't beat you, Gabby."

"You tried to get their phone numbers, didn't you?" Gabby accused humorously.

"Not dead yet, babe!" Danny protested. "And my girlfriend has been in Washington, D.C., for a month!"

"Did you get any numbers?" she asked curiously. She really wasn't worried because she doubted the tall, young, rich models would appreciate the fine qualities of the short, vocal detective.

"They're all dating rock stars and actors. Actors!" Danny said in disgust.

"They're just girls," Gabby consoled. "They don't appreciate a real man. Not like I do," she cooed.

"Even though they were cute, they can't hold a candle to you, babe," Danny asserted.

"Why's that?" she teased.

"Because you appreciate a real man," Danny answered. It was almost a question.

"Because I appreciate you."

"So you're saying there are no eligible guys at the Smithsonian?"

"In my program, the only one who's not married is 65 and gay."

"Poor Gabby."

"And my boyfriend is hanging out with supermodels."

"On the beach at Waikiki," Danny added helpfully.

"Meanie!"

"I get mean when I'm lonely. But I'll be nice when you get back," he said with a sexy growl.

"I can't wait," Gabby purred. "I've got to go, Danny. Lunch break's over."

"Yeah, I'd better get moving, too, or McGarrett will be breaking down my door to find out why I'm late."

"Tell everyone I said, 'Hi.'"

"I will."

"And stay away from those supermodels,' Gabby said sternly.

"No promises."

"Danny!"

"Gabby, there are bikini babes everywhere I look in Hawaii, but the only woman I want to see is you," Danny said sincerely.

"That's better," Gabby said. She paused a moment, then risked it. "Love you, Danny. Stay safe."

"Love you, too," Danny answered without hesitation, which delighted Gabby. "You stay warm, island girl. Aloha."

"Aloha."


	13. Danno's Hawaiian Vocabulary Quiz

_A/N: Apparently Danny's on a word kick in my mind._

**Danno's Hawaiian Vocabulary Quiz**

"We had to memorize the state motto today, Danna," Grace Williams told her father.

"OK, hit me," Danny Williams said obligingly.

"Ua mau ke ea o ka aina i ka pono," Grace recited. "It means 'The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness'."

Danny applauded. "Good job," he said. "I don't have it memorized and I walk across it every day." The Five-0 department seal, which included the state motto, was painted on the floor of their offices. "You're learning a lot of Hawaiian words this semester."

Grace nodded. "I can teach you, too," she offered. "Do you know many Hawaiian words?"

"I don't know, monkey," Danny said doubtfully. "Mostly I know names like Waikiki and Kilauea and Kalakaua." (And the last time Chin brought up Adam Noshimuri, Kalakaua erupted like Kilauea, Danny thought.)

"What other words do you know," Grace asked. She got out her vocabulary test to prompt him if he needed it.

"One of my favorite Hawaiian words is 'luau,'" Danny decided. "Which I used to think was a big tourist feast but now I know can be any group meal, like Thanksgiving or a barbecue at McGarrett's. And I know kalua pork, which you have at luaus. 'Kalua' means 'baked' in an 'imu,' which I thought was a flightless bird from Australia, but in Hawaii is a pit in the ground that is used as an oven," Danny said with mock seriousness.

Grace was giggling. Because she'd been doing homework on birds just two months ago, she knew her father knew that the bird was spelled "emu," though the words were pronounced the same.

"And I know 'poi,' which is a purple goo that looks like blueberry yogurt but tastes like nothing much. I can't eat it by itself, but Kamekona showed me if you eat it with Kalua pork, it cuts the saltiness," Danny said. "Oh, and there's 'poke,' which is pronounced 'po-kee' but is spelled 'poke,'" he prodded his daughter's ribs with his finger, making her wriggle and giggle some more. "That's chopped up raw fish with a marinade and stuff, which I never thought would taste good but does, especially when it's a tuna I caught myself." Because, even though that outing hadn't gone to plan, Kakemono's poke had been worth the price. "And I know 'pupu,' which sounds rude but means 'appetizers.'"

"Danno, don't you know anything but food words?" Grace asked her father, trying but failing to smother her laughter.

Danny looked mock offended. "Of course I do. I know 'lei.' Well, everyone knows 'lei,' a necklace made of vegetation. I don't mind the ones made of leaves or shells, but I won't wear flowers," he said darkly. "And I know 'wikiwiki,' which means 'hurry up!' like when I'm chasing a suspect and 'lolo,' which means crazy like Steve McGarrett."

"Danno!"

"It's true, monkey." Danny schooled his face to the utmost seriousness. "If you look in a Hawaiian dictionary, you will find Uncle Steve's picture next to the word 'lolo.'" He crossed his heart piously.

"You shouldn't fib to little kids," Grace scolded.

"'Keiki!'" Danny said triumphantly. "You are a 'keiki,' 'child' who is growing up too fast — too 'wikiwiki' — into a beautiful 'wahine,' 'woman'."

"Mahalo, Danno," Grace said, hugging her father tightly.

"You're welcome, Grace," Danny answered, proving he knew that word, too.

"So if you know 'woman' and 'child,' what's 'man'?" Grace challenged.

"'Kane,'" Danny answered promptly. "I can't take much credit for knowing that one. It's on all the restroom doors. Let's see, what other words have I learned. I know 'haole,' which is me, someone not born in Hawaii, and the opposite, which is 'kama'aina.'"

Grace had been waiting in vain for the most commonly used Hawaiian word. "I think you've forgotten some important words, Danno," she chided teasingly.

Danny tickled his daughter. "No, I just saved the best for last," he corrected. "I know 'ohana,' which means 'family.' Not just my own blood relatives, but extended family like …"

"Like Uncle Steve and Uncle Chin and Aunt Kono."

"Correct. And I know 'aloha,' which means 'hello' and 'goodbye' and probably a dozen other things." Danny gave his daughter a loving smile and pulled her into a tight embrace. Speaking into her hair he continued. "But most important to me, 'aloha' means 'love' and it means 'grace,' two words that have always meant the same to me."

_A/N: This may be my last Five-0 story for a while. I'm working on a multichapter fic but it's got a Grand Canyon-sized hole in the middle. I can't bring myself to start running it until I build a bridge from the beginning to the ending. Right now I can see the nails, but I haven't found the lumber. I do have some Avengers stories stockpiled, but no Five-0. (I thought of this quickie on the drive home Monday and typed it up while waiting for the show to start.) So, see you back here in a month, I hope. Aloha._


	14. Pineapple

_A/N: Look, I found a story that I neglected to post, just a teensy one, but something. I'm still working on the big one, Hot Pursuit. Made some good progress on my week off. _

**Pineapple**

"I want to make it clear, for the record, that I don't hate pineapple," Danny Williams said decisively. "My partner might try to tell you otherwise, but I never said I hate pineapple. It has its place — in fruit salad, in Jell-O, pineapple upside down cake, even on those tropical umbrella drinks that people (McGarrett) like to force me to drink, and then pay for.

"It has its place. That place is not on pizza, with or without ham. On pizza, pineapple is an abomination. It's a well-known fact anywhere east of California. Fruit on pizza — ehhh." He made a negative noise like a game show buzzer.

"It also does not belong on hamburgers and hotdogs. Make teriyaki chicken if you want. Sweet and sour pork, OK. But leave it off your burger! A little lettuce, a little tomato — burgers don't need much, just good beef, not pineapple! And hotdogs! I couldn't believe it when I saw pineapple relish on dogs! It's almost un-American to put pineapple on hotdogs."

"But, like I said, I have no problem with pineapple in the proper place and my daughter loves pineapple in fruit salad. So I bought a pineapple. Back in Jersey, I opened pineapple with a can opener, but Hawaii opened my eyes to fresh. It really does taste better here.

"I know why, because I have, unfortunately, had to chase suspects through spiky pineapple fields. Hawaii doesn't export pineapples any more — unless you count tourists carrying boxes marked 'Dole' on airplanes. The fruit has full time to ripen here and it's so much sweeter than anywhere else.

"So I thought I'd slice a fresh pineapple. I thought, how difficult could it be?" Danny said ruefully.

"And your hand slipped," the nurse guessed, as she finished cleaning the scrapes on the inside of Danny's arm. He'd avoided the knife, but not the rough skin of the pineapple. His arm looked like he'd used a cheese grater on it.

"The pineapple slipped," Danny corrected.

"You need a good sharp knife," the Hawaiian woman offered. "And you need to cut the top and bottom off to make a stable cutting surface." She began to tape a bandage across the wounds.

"I think I'm done with cutting pineapples," Danny said.

"Do you hate pineapple now?"

"No, but I'll leave cutting them to my partner. He's really good with knives."


End file.
